Display carton

ABSTRACT

A display carton consisting of a shadow box made of one piece of sheet material having a plurality of serially connected panels that form an outer generally rectangular box unit and an inner shadow panel unit. The shadow panel unit includes a pair of shadow panels which are arranged to present oblique faces to the window opening in the carton.

United States Patet lnventors Wallace E. Hanson Springfield, Mass.;Mario A. lsoldi, Brooklyn, N.Y. Appl. No. 850,431 Filed Aug. 15, 1969Patented July 113, 1971 Assignee U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers llnc.

Hamilton, Ohio DISPLAY CARTON 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 2116/4519, 206/45 31, 229/16 D Int. Cl B6511 25/00 Field ofSearch 206/45.14,

[56] Relerences Cited V UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,128,197 8/1938 Weil206/45.l4 2,946,433 7/1960 Hennessey 206/45.19 2,980,242 4/1961 Miller206/45.19 UX 3,062,367 11/1962 Holy. 206/45.3l 3,388,787 6/1968 Growney206/45. 14 3,389,785 6/1968 Lidgard 206/45.19X 3,419,133 12/1968 Stone206/45. 14

Primary Examiner-loseph R. Leclair Assistant Examiner-Steven E. LipmanAtt0rney-Daniel P. Worth ABSTRACT: A display carton consisting of ashadow box made of one piece of sheet material having a plurality ofserially connected panels that form an outer generally rectangular boxunit and an inner shadow panel unit. The shadow panel unit includes apair of shadow panels which are arranged to present oblique faces to thewindow opening in the carton.

PATENIEDJULHIHYI 3,592,338

' sum 2 0r 2 INVENTORS MARIO A. ISOLDI WALLACE E. HANSON ATTORPEYDISPLAY CARTON SUMMARY AND DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION This inventionrelates to improvements in display cartons. One aspect of the inventionpertains to a display carton ofthe variety called a shadow box.

Shadow boxes are well known in the prior art and are characterized by agenerally rectangular container having an opening on at least one side.Structure inside the box supports the article packaged therein so thatit can be seen through the display opening and yet the aestheticfeatures of box depth and a picture frame around the opening arerealized. The box depth appearance is often enhanced by some of theinterior panels. The prior art has been characterized by a complexarrangement of panels, often with various interlocking means betweenthem or between them and the article to be packaged: suchcharacteristics cause difficulty in setting up the boxes and in fillingthem with the articles to be packaged therein.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved shadow box.A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedshadow box having a simplified construction. Stillanother object isprovision of a shadow box that is easily set up and filled.

A shadow box according to the present invention is made of one piece ofsheet material, preferably paper or paperboard. The box itself comprisestwo unitsan outer generally rectangular box unit or tubular unit and aninner shadow panel unit. These two units in turn are composed of aseries of serially connected panels so arranged that the box unit wrapsaround the shadow panel unit. The box unit has a front panel with awindow therein, a back panel opposite thereto, and first and secondouter side panels extending between the front and back panel. The secondside panel is connected between the front and back panels. The innershadow panel unit has first and second shadow panels, means connectingsaid shadow panel and an inner side panel connected between the backpanel and the first shadow panel. When the box is erected, the innerside panel is secured by adhesive means in face to face contact with thefirst outer side panel.

Other objects, advantages and features will become apparent from thefollowing disclosure when read in conjunction with the annexed drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an erected carton;

FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective of a portion of an erected carton;

FIG. 3 is a partial side cross section of one end along 3-3 of FIG. 1showing the end closure flap received by the recessed liner panel;

FIG. 4 illustrates the carton blank;

FIG. 5 is a folded blank before erection into a carton showing thediagonal extension of the shadow panel unit; and

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway view along 6-6 of FIG. 1 at one end of thecarton showing how the tabs engage the article packaged therein andcoacted with the enclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the shadow box 1 of the present invention is madeof one piece of sheet material, preferably paperboard and comprises aseries of panels laid out on a carton blank 2 as shown in FIG. 4 in sucha way that all of the panels forming the box are serially connected andthat one group of adjacent panels forms an outer rectangular box unitwhile a second group of adjacent panels forms an inner shadow panelunit. Yet. as mentioned broadly above and as easily seen in FIGS. 2, 4and 5, the panels are serially connectedas are the two units-in such away that the outer box unit is wrapped around the inner shadow panelunit. At the same time the blank can be formed into a knocked down,unerected carton as in FIG. 5 which can be in conventional fashionerected into the carton ofFIG. I.

As best seen in FIG. 4 the carton blank is divided by a plurality oflongitudinally extending score lines 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

into the various panels that form the respective units. Transverse scorelines 11 and 12in the box unit section separate the end closurestructures from the panels from which they are connected. The transversescore lines are preferably colinear with the ends of the back panel. Thelongitudinal score lines 2-9 inclusive define the panels, reading fromleft to right of FIG. 4, a first outer side panel 21, a front panel 22with a display window 23 cut therein, a second outer side panel'24, aback panel 25, an inner side panel 26, a first shadow panel 27, aconnecting means or liner panel 28, and a second shadow panel 29.Preferably the inner side panel 26 is substantially the same height asthe first outer side panel 21., In order that the knocked-down cartoncan be formed of the blank (i.e., by applying glue 32 between the innerside panel 26 to the inside face of the first outer side panel 21), itis required that the shadow panels and liner panel fit inside theconfines of the flattened or knocked-down carton, as illustratedschematically in FIG. 5. This in turn requires that the width of bothshadow panels 27, 29 plus the liner panel 28 width not exceed-andpreferably substantially equalsthe width of the back panel 25 plus theheight of a side panel 21 in order that the shadow panel unit can extenddiagonally across the unerected carton blank. Ifa score line is theconnecting means 28 (instead ofa panel) then, of course, the two shadowpanels are substantially equal to the diagonal width of a side panelheight plus back panel width. The first and second shadow panels eachhave a width greater than one-half the width of the back panel. Length,width and height of the various panels are measured in the directions ofan erected carton, i.e., length along score line 3 between score lines11 and 12, width across the back panel (or front panel) between scorelines 5 and 6 and height on a side panel along score line 11 (or 12)between score lines 4 and 5.

The carton when erected is closed at each end by a carton end closureunit 40. Each such unit comprises a pair of end side flaps 41, 42 eachof which is hingedly supported from an outer side panel, an end closureflap 43 which is supported hingedly from score 11 or 12 from the frontpanel, and an end seal flap 44 which is hingedly supported by score line46 from the end closure flap.

In order that the article 50 to be packaged can be positively held bythe carton structure there are provided a pair of tabs 52, 53respectively supported from the remote and upper edges of the respectivefirst and second shadow panels. Each tab is connected to the panelhingedly by a score line 56, 57 and has a trimmed face 58, 59 which isat least a portion ofits upper face that has been trimmed away so thatthe tab can be folded into the erected carton when pressed against bythe end closure flap 43. Each tab also has an article face 60, 61 forengaging an article that is within the package. The article face may becut to a variety of shapes to facilitate its physical engagement withsuch article.

The liner panel 28 is recessed at each end 65 so that the end seal flapscan be received within the carton, as shown in FIG. 3.

The score lines 8 and 9 are prebroken by bending the shadow panels 27and 29 partially to their final position, thus creating a bias wherebythe shadow panels can more readily move or be moved to their finalposition. This bias is illustrated in FIG. 5 where the three panels 27,28, 29 are shown as concave relative to the carton front panel 22.

Preferably, the article is a tube (e.g., a tube of shampoo, toothpaste,etc.) the flat or crimpcd end of the tube being engaged by the tabs 52,53. Thus, the tube is positively held against rotating and (due to theshape and spacing of the article faces 60, 61) lateral motion whichmaintains the appearance of the package and keeps displayed in thewindow 23 the trade name etc. on the tube.

The box unit thus comprises the two outer side panels 21, 24; the frontpanel 22, the back panel 25; and the end closure units 40. The shadowpanel unit comprises the inner side panel 26, the connecting means 28shown as the liner panel, and the two shadow panels 27, 29 with theirtabs 52, 53.

In practice, a blank 2 as in FIG. 4 is made. lt is then folded as shownin FlG. 5 with the shadow unit disposed inside of and diagonally of thebox unit. Glue 32 or other suitable sealing means, e.g., plastic coatingon the blank surface, is used to adhere the inner side panel 26 to theouter panel 21. The knocked-down carton of FIG. 5 is shipped flat anderected into the carton l by diagonal pressure on scores 3 and 5 whileflexing shadow panel 29 up to score line 41 thus forcing liner 28 intoface to face contact with back panel 25. No adhesive is required betweenthe liner and back panels. In the erected carton the shadow panelsextend obliquely and divergently from their connecting means 28 up tothe score lines 3 and 4 at the side edges of the front panel.

The invention we claim is:

l. A shadow box made of one piece of sheet material and comprising anouter generally rectangular box unit having a front display panel with awindow therein;

a back panel opposite said front display panel; and

first and second outer side panels extending between said front displaypanel and said back panel, said second outer side panel being connectedto each of said front and back panels; and

an inner shadow panel unit having first and second shadow panels eachhaving a width greater than onehalf the width ofsaid back panel;

means connecting said first and second shadow panels and disposedadjacent said back panel; and

an inner side panel connected between said back panel and said firstshadow panel and extending in face to face con tact with said firstouter side panel;

said shadow panels each extending obliquely up toward a respective oneof said outer side panels divergently from said connecting means wherebya shadow effect is realized by the oblique surfaces displayed throughsaid window.

2. A shadow box according to claim 1 further comprising as saidconnecting means, a narrow liner panel face to face against said backpanel and hingedly connected along each side to one of said shadowpanels, whereby the shadow panels are spaced apart adjacent said backpanel.

3. A shadow box according to claim 2 wherein said narrow liner panel isrecessed at one end from the corresponding ends of said shadow panelswhereby a flap on the carton can be received in the recess.

4. A shadow box according to claim 1 wherein said inner side panel issubstantially the same height as said first outer side panel.

5. A shadow box according to claim 1 wherein said shadow panels extendobliquely from said back panel substantially to the respective junctionsof said outer side panels with said front panel.

6. A shadow box according to claim 1 wherein the width of said shadowpanels plus the connecting means width substantially equals the width ofsaid back panel plus the height of said first outer side panel wherebysaid shadow panel unit extends diagonally across the carton whenunerected.

7. A carton according to claim 6 comprising said shadow panels being atone end recessed from the carton end, a tab extending toward and pastthe carton end from each such recessed shadow panel ends, wherebyclosing the carton end pushes the tab on each panel end into the carton.

8. A shadow box according to claim 1 comprising said shadow panels beingat one end recessed from the carton end, a tab extending toward and pastthe carton end from each such recessed shadow panel ends, wherebyclosing the carton end pushes the tab on each panel end into the carton.

1. A shadow box made of one piece of sheet material and comprising anouter generally rectangular box unit having a front display panel with awindow therein; a back panel opposite said front display panel; andfirst and second outer side panels extending between said front displaypanel and said back panel, said second outer side panel being connectedto each of said front and back panels; and an inner shadow panel unithaving first and second shadow panels each having a width greater thanone-half the width of said back panel; means connecting said first andsecond shadow panels and disposed adjacent said back panel; and an innerside panel connected between said back panel and said first shadow paneland extending in face to face contact with said first outer side panel;said shadow panels each extending obliquely up toward a respective oneof said outer side panels divergently from said connecting means wherebya shadow effect is realized by the oblique surfaces displayed throughsaid window.
 2. A shadow box according to claim 1 further comprising assaid connecting means, a narrow liner panel face to face against saidback panel and hingedly connected along each side to one of said shadowpanels, whereby the shadow panels are spaced apart adjacent said backpanel.
 3. A shadow box according to claim 2 wherein said narrow linerpanel is recessed at one end from the corresponding ends of said shadowpanels whereby a flap on the carton can be received in the recess.
 4. Ashadow box according to claim 1 wherein said inner side panel issubstantially the same height as said first outer side panel.
 5. Ashadow box according to claim 1 wherein said shadow panels extendobliquely from said back panel substantially to the respective junctionsof said outer side panels with said front panel.
 6. A shadow boxaccording to claim 1 wherein the width of said shadow panels plus theconnecting means width substantially equaLs the width of said back panelplus the height of said first outer side panel whereby said shadow panelunit extends diagonally across the carton when unerected.
 7. A cartonaccording to claim 6 comprising said shadow panels being at one endrecessed from the carton end, a tab extending toward and past the cartonend from each such recessed shadow panel ends, whereby closing thecarton end pushes the tab on each panel end into the carton.
 8. A shadowbox according to claim 1 comprising said shadow panels being at one endrecessed from the carton end, a tab extending toward and past the cartonend from each such recessed shadow panel ends, whereby closing thecarton end pushes the tab on each panel end into the carton.